Borneo & Java

Arrive into the East Java city of Surabaya and transfer to the hotel. The day is yours to relax and refresh after your flights. We meet this evening for our welcome dinner and to discuss the adventure ahead.

This morning we take a short domestic flight to the island of Borneo, which although is only 73% controlled by Indonesia is the largest land area in the country's archipelago. Indonesian Borneo is known as Kalimantan, and we will be basing our stay here in the Tanjung Puting National Park which is home to approximately 6,000 Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). Tanjung Puting National Park was originally established as a reserve in the 1930s by the local Dutch government to protect the orangutans and proboscis monkey found here. In 1977 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and was given National Park status in 1982. There are three orangutan rehabilitation centres found within the park.

Upon arrival we will be met by our local jungle guide and transferred to our private riverboat, which is called a klotok. From the port it is approximately two and a half hours to the jungle lodge located in the national park. The lodge is simple, with clean, comfortable rooms which include air-conditioning and private bathrooms with western facilities and hot water. All of our meals will either be served at the lodge or aboard our klotok and are tasty and nutritious.

During our stay we will maximising our time in the field as we explore the national park’s main river by klotok in the search for orangutans. We will make visits to the orangutan rehabilitation centres and photograph at the feeding platforms, which have been set up in the jungle to support released orangutans. In addition to orangutan, wildlife which we expect to encounter as we cruise the river includes proboscis monkeys, langurs, macaques, hornbills and kingfishers.

We return to the port town in the evening on Day 6 and transfer to our hotel in preparation for the following morning's flight.

We depart Kalimantan after breakfast for the return flight to Surabaya, arriving in the late morning. The remainder of the day is yours to relax. Our quality hotel is adjoined to a large, modern mall with many places to eat, or enjoy a relaxing coffee. We meet again the following morning.

After breakfast we depart for the mountain region of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. This area is the most spectacular volcanic region in Indonesia and we will spend two days photographing this lunar-like landscape. Our hotel is situated on the fringe of the National Park.

The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is home to Indonesia’s most spectacular volcanic landscape and covers an area of 800 square kilometres. While Mount Bromo receives most of the attention it is actually the smallest of the five volcanoes found inside the Tengger caldera. On a clear morning Java’s highest volcano, Semeru (3676 metres), can be seen in the distance. This morning we depart the hotel at 3am and drive to the National Park for sunrise photography. We return to the hotel for a late breakfast. After lunch we return to the National Park and explore the expansive Sea of Sand in private hardtop jeeps. If conditions are favourable we will photograph the late afternoon light on the volcanoes.

Another early start to photograph first light over the volcanic plateau. After breakfast we travel to a nearby town in the East Java province and visit an adjacent volcano. Return to the hotel in the early evening.

We are out early again this morning to explore a nearby traditional produce market. As this area is well off the tourist trail we are the curiosity here and the local Javanese are very friendly and welcome having their portraits taken. We then return to the hotel for breakfast and later in the morning we move our base to a nearby town.

Over the next two days we will explore traditional markets, historical areas of the town, village life, and ricefields. This area is always a favourite with guests and is a fascinating region to photograph.

After breakfast we return to Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, to begin the journey home.